Ball-bearing.



' Patented Nov. I4, |899. F. H. HEATH.

BALL BEARING.

(Application led Aug. 27, 1897.) (No Model.)

W/TNESSES /NVNTO7 mw@ Frage/ai JAM MAA* By A TTHNE YS.

UNITED STATES PATENT Erica,

FREDERICK H. HEATH, OF TACOMA, VASHINGTON.

BALL-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,204, dated November14, 1899. Application filed August Z7, 1897. Serial No. 649,687. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDERICK H. HEATH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington,haveinvented a certain new and` useful Improvement in Ball Bearings, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide an effective arrangementwhereby the cramping or binding of the balls between thebearing-surfaces is entirely overcome.

I make the bearing self-adjusting to any spring of the shaft orpermanent bend therein or vibrations from unequal strains. I provide abearing having a spherical inner surface presented to the balls, so thatif the axle or shaft springs or is bent the balls will still travel inthe same circular track, so that the wedging of the balls is entirelyobviated and an equal and even bearing on all the balls alwaysmaintained, thus adding greatly to the smooth running and life of thebearings. Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a central transverse section ofmy improved bearing applied to a shaft, and Fig. 2 is a similar sectionshowing the shaft at a different angle.

The main portion of the bearing is composed of two partsnamely,ablock-like member 1, having a central transverse opening o`r bore, alsoa lateral (circular) recess, and a smaller circular block 2, which isprovided with a transverse opening and iitted and screwed into theaforesaid recess, whereby the two members are firmly secured together',so as to form practically a solid block. The interior surface of thelatter is formed on spherical lines whose radii havea common center.Within such spherical concavity are arranged two cones 3 and 4 and twoseries of loose balls 5 5a, which run between the respective cones andthe opposite spherical surface of the block-bearing. One cone 3 is boredto iit upon the shaft 6 and is provided with a cylindricalexteriorly-threaded extension 3, upon which the other cone 4 isscrewedthat is to say, the said cone 4 has a short cy lindricalextension 4a, that is threaded interiorly and screwed upon the extension3a of cone 3 and is secured in any required adjustment by a jam-nut 6.

In assembling the several parts of the bearing the block member l isfirst secured ina hanger or the like, the part 2 having been firstremoved to allow insertion of the cones 3 4 and series of balls 5 5a.The cones, screwed together, are moved to the left into the cavity ofthe block l. The block member 2 is next screwed into place. The cones 34 are then adjusted to secure the proper bearing for the balls 5 a--thatis to say, the cone 4 is rotated upon cone 3 to adjust them apart, so asto bring the balls 5 5 into contact with and proper bearing upon thespherical inner surface of blocks l 2. The last step is to secure thecones in their due position relatively by means of the jam-nut 6 andtogether upon the shaft by a clamp-screw 7.

It will be understood that the block-bearing 1 2 is to be held suspendedin a hanger or otherwise fixed in position.

It will be understood that in case two or Inore bearings of this kindare employed on the same shaft the cones of but one of them will besecured by a clamp-screw, so that the others may be left free to allowfor expansion and contraction of the shaft.

In a perfect cup-and-cone bearing each ball travels over a common pathon the surface of the cone and at right angles to its axis and over acommon path on the surface of the cup and at right angles to its axis.These paths are the parallel circumferences of two paral-V lel circles.These elements constitute what are called concentric bearings.

It is impracticable to make cup-andcone bearings so perfect that thepath of the balls shall never deviate from the circumference of a circleon either cup or cone, on account of the mechanical impossibility ofmaking perfeet threads on cup or cone and on shaft or hub, by means ofwhich perfect alinement shall be always preserved, and for the furtherreason that the least vibration, spring, or bend of the shaft changesthe path of the balls on the cup or cone, which path then assumes anovoid instead of a circular form. The lockwasher and jam-nut alsoincrease the difficulty. I

The use of the spherical bearing-surface as one member of a bearing, ashere shown and described, produces an absolutely concentric IOO bearing,giving an even and uniform bearing on each ball, in which it isimpossible for the balls to become cramped or pinched by vibration,spring, or bend of the shaft or by imperfection of theadjusting-threads. Fig. 2 illustrates the adaptation of such a bearingto changes in the position or angle of a shaft, and it will be seen thatthe balls have at all times the same circular paths, also that therelative adjustment and operation of the parts of the bearing remain thesaine.

l. The improved bearing, formed of two members having interior concavesurfaces formed on spherical lines whose radii have a common center, oneof said members being provided with a lateral recess and the othermember secured therein, so that they form practically one solid bearing;cones arranged within the concavity of such bearing; and

ranged between the cones and bearing-block,

as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK I-I. HEATH.

Witnesses:

E. STEINBACH, W. E. THEoDoRE.

